Chapter 5

What once felt like happiness in Silas' embrace now made Elodie feel deeply uncomfortable. She struggled to free herself from his embrace and forcefully pulled away from him before putting some distance between them. He panicked and quickly followed. "Elodie, are you thinking of taking a trip? I'll cancel all my work and spend every moment with you next week. Please, don't be mad at me. Don't leave me, okay?" She felt nothing but emptiness in her heart. The man who was now begging her to stay was the same man entangled with Avery in the video. Which one was his true self? She no longer knew. Yet, it didn't matter anymore. She would be gone from his life forever soon. The question of his authenticity no longer concerned her. She responded faintly, "You're overthinking. Didn't you say that we have an anniversary ceremony coming up?" He was still suspicious as he pressed on. "But you mentioned some new identity documents earlier. What was that for? And you talked about buying a plane ticket." "It's for a classmate of mine. She lost her ID and can't buy tickets. I'm helping her reapply." "Which classmate?" "You don't know her." "I know all your classmates." She changed the subject and asked him rhetorically, "Forget about me. What about you? Did you finish all your work last night?" "They're almost done." His phone rang again just as his words ended. She was already used to Avery calling to steal him away at every opportunity. He would always leave anyway. She simply walked to the couch and sat down to wait. She overheard him scolding someone in a lowered voice, "I told you not to call when I'm at home!" A woman's sobbing voice came from the other end of the phone. He glanced nervously in Elodie's direction and licked his lips diffidently. "Alright. I'll come over now." He hung up and spoke with a hint of hesitation. "Elodie, there's still a minor issue at work from last night…" She simply nodded. "Go ahead. You've been busy at work lately. I understand." He rushed out the door once again. She held her phone and waited. She wanted to see what outrageous video Avery would send this time. As expected, a message from her arrived shortly after. It was a photo this time. It was a hospital report. This was what she saw. "Patient: Avery Sloan. Pregnancy: Four weeks. Diagnosis: Threatened miscarriage." Avery sent her another message. "We had a little too much fun at the cinema last night. Now the baby's in danger of miscarriage. Someone from the hospital said the father needs to come over to sign the paperwork. Sorry, Mrs. Creed. Your husband is mine again today." Avery was pregnant? Her grip on the phone tightened. She stared at the screen and was stunned for a long time. Another message arrived. "Oh, I forgot to mention. He'll be mine for the whole week. He promised to take me on a vacation to Hessmir to celebrate our baby. "He's calling you right now. Be prepared, Mrs. Creed." She emphasized the title mockingly. Elodie's phone rang almost immediately. The word husband flashed on the screen. She took a deep breath and answered it. "Elodie, I'm truly sorry. Something urgent came up at work, and I need to go on a business trip—" She cut him off before he could finish. "Sure, go ahead." He kept apologizing. "Don't worry, Elodie. I'll be back for our fifth anniversary and bring back the wedding ring that symbolized our love. I'll put it on for you again during the ceremony." "Silas, do you love me?" "Of course! You're the only woman I've ever loved." She said calmly, "I'll leave you if you betray our love one day. I'll leave you forever." He let out a chuckle like she was joking. "You wouldn't have the chance." "I'm serious. You'll never find me again if I ever find out." "As long as you're still Elodie Hartwell, I'll find you even if you disappear to the ends of the earth." "Really? What if I'm no longer Elodie Hartwell?" He laughed even harder, teasing her like he was coaxing a kitten. "How could you not be you? Alright, Elodie. Stop overthinking. I swear that you're the only one I love. I'll surely be back in a week." The fake death agency sent her an address ten minutes later. When she arrived, they handed her a stack of identity documents. "Ms. Hartwell, this will be your new identity from today onward." She flipped through them. Her new name was Elira Wren. Elira felt like an elude or exit, whereas Wren was a migratory bird. She was about to leave Silas forever. She chose the name for herself. From this moment on, Elodie Hartwell no longer existed. There was only Elira Wren. "Ms. Hartwell, oh sorry, Ms. Wren. We've also booked your flight. It'll be next Saturday at ten in the morning. You'll be flying to Iolana." She carefully stored the document and nodded with appreciation. "Thank you. I'll transfer the full payment to your company's account shortly." "Ms. Wren, you still have a week to consider it. We won't charge you a penny if you change your mind." "That won't be necessary." She stood up. Her voice was firm and resolute. "I won't change my mind."